


The Frymans

by CaptainJZH



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Brotherly Affection, Childhood Trauma, Future Fic, Gen, Post-Canon, Ronaldo's a surprisingly good brother, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:39:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27860918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJZH/pseuds/CaptainJZH
Summary: Steven tells Peedee about his fight with Greg, which gets Peedee thinking about his own dad's decision to put him to work at an early age, effectively cutting his childhood short.The confrontation doesn't go well.
Relationships: Pee Dee Fryman & Ronaldo Fryman, Pee Dee Fryman & Steven Universe
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	The Frymans

“You really did that? Crashed your dad’s van?” Peedee asked. 

He and Steven had met up for lunch at the Greatest Diner in the World, up in Keystone. Peedee was in town for a food truck festival, and Steven happened to be heading that way on his trip.

Steven sighed. “Yeah, I was... _ really  _ in a bad place then. I think that was our first argument. Like,  _ ever.” _

“Damn,” Peedee said. “What was it about?”

“I guess I was mad at my dad for how he raised me? You remember,” Steven said with a chuckle. “No school, no doctor’s visits. It was nice that I had so much freedom, but it fucked me up, y’know? I didn’t know...most things about being a person, heh.”

“So that’s what you got mad at your dad about?”

“Yeah, but I think deep down I was mad at myself. I’m better now though. Like, me and my dad worked it out. All parents make mistakes, y’know?”

“Yeah…” Peedee said, his mind suddenly thinking about his own childhood. 

The Fryman household was always somewhat strict. Donald Fryman, Peedee’s father, had always maintained that a steady work schedule was the key to a good life. So even before Peedee started work at the Fry Shop, he was waking up regularly at 5:00am. Peedee didn’t mind then, because hey, it meant there were more hours in the day for fun! 

But then his dad put him to work. Every non-school day. Sometimes 9-to-5, sometimes up to closing time. He didn’t get to play anymore, and when he did? It just wasn’t fun.

After their lunch ended and he parted ways with Steven, Peedee spent the drive back to Beach City thinking about his dad. Why did his dad have to put him to work like that? Why couldn’t he just...let him be a kid? Sure, maybe a part-time job would’ve been fine. The occasional weekend or two. But now a  _ work ethic  _ had been ingrained into the boy, and to be honest? He  _ hated _ it.

“Hey dad?” Peedee asked after he got back.

The eldest Fryman was in the living room, reading “Fried Foods Monthly.” He looked up from the magazine. “What is it, son?” he asked, in his usual authoritative voice. It had always intimidated the boy.

“Why’d you make me work in the Fry Shop those years ago?”

“What?” Fryman asked, surprised. “You’re a Fryman! That’s what we do, we fry. Why, my dad had me peeling potatoes before I even went to middle school!”

“But didn’t it bother you that I...you know...didn’t get to play like the other kids?”

“Eh, you played around enough when you were little. When you turned 12,  _ that’s  _ when it was time to stop playing, and get working.”

_ Really?  _ This _ was his reasoning?  _

“But...I dunno…” Peedee tried to say, now unsure of himself.

“You’re right, you don’t,” Fryman said, standing up and heading to the kitchen. “Now tell me about the food truck festival. Hope you promoted Beach Citywalk Fries!”

“No!” Peedee suddenly shouted. “I’m not gonna let this end up like every other argument we have, where I crumble the second I show some backbone!”

“What is it with you, son?” Fryman asked. “I thought you liked working at the Fry Shop! Getting some responsibility! Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“You’re the one who shoved me in the Frybo suit when all I wanted to do was play on the boardwalk with my  _ friends!  _ Oh yeah dad, remember when I had time to hang out with friends? I barely saw Steven for a year outside of giving him fry bits! He used to be my best friend!”

“The Fry Shop is more important than your friends! If I didn’t have you and Ronaldo pulling those shifts, I would’ve had to hire people! And you know we couldn’t afford that.”

“So that’s all I was to you?  _ Free labor?!”  _ Peedee shouted as he grew more angry.

“No, no, that’s not—”

_ “You took my childhood away! _ Do you know how many dances I wanted to go to?”

“Peedee, I—”

“A lot! But oh no, ‘I need you for the night shift, Peedee,’ because how dare I not want what  _ you  _ want!”

Before his dad could answer, Peedee stormed out of the house. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he needed to go somewhere,  _ anywhere _ but the Fryman household. 

There was one place he knew he could go.

\---

“Peedee?” Ronaldo asked, after his younger brother knocked on the door of the lighthouse. “What are you doing here?”

“I… I got in a fight with dad,” Peedee admitted.   
  


“Jeez,” Ronaldo said, “come on in, dude.”

In the main room of the lighthouse, Ronaldo and Peedee sat down on the couch, with Peedee taking a long, deep breath.

“I think I fucked up,” Peedee sighed.

“How so, little bro?” 

“I dunno,” Peedee lied. He knew exactly what he did. “So I met up with Steven yesterday in Keystone, right? And he mentioned how he got really mad at his dad for giving him too much freedom...and I guess I started thinking about me and dad. And working in the Fry Shop. Without any freedom, really.”

“Oh,” Ronaldo said, realizing.

“Yeah.”

“Honestly bro?” Ronaldo began. “Dad put me to work same age as you.”

“Really?”

“Hated every minute of it,” the older Fryman brother laughed. “Then when I got to high school I realized it wasn’t worth devoting every second to it, y’know?”

“But how’d you...learn to have fun again?”   
  


Ronaldo shrugged. “Why’d you think I started my blog? I had to fill that hole somehow!”

“That’s what she said,” Peedee said with a knowing laugh. “So I was right to get upset at dad?”

“Of course, Peeds,” Ronaldo smiled. “That’s why I moved out. He always thinks  _ he’s  _ right, no matter what!”

“Sounds a lot like someone else I know,” Peedee remarked, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah,” Ronaldo said,  _ “Lars.” _

The two of them burst into laughter at that. After the laughter died down, however, Peedee thought back to the argument from earlier.

“So should I apologize to him?” Peedee asked. “Like, I don’t wanna back down from this.”

“Give it a day, man. I know he cools down after a while.”

“Thanks, Ron,” Peedee said, hugging his older brother for comfort.

“...Wanna watch some anime?” Ronaldo asked.

_ “Fuck yeah,”  _ Peedee laughed.

\---

“Hey dad?” Peedee started once he returned to the house. “I’m sorry we fought yesterday. I...”

“No, I’m sorry, son,” his dad said, getting up from the dining room table. He’d clearly had a long time to think. “It’s just… I guess I got so into the idea of  _ tradition  _ that I… That I forgot to ask if my kids wanted to follow them.”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know if I would have said no if you’d asked,” Peedee shrugged. “Cause I did like the Fry Shop after a while, it’s just… I didn’t like it becoming my entire life, y’know?”

“Hindsight’s 20/20,” Fryman sighed. “But still, I didn’t do my best raising you. And from Fryman to Fryman? That’s the worst thing a parent can do.”

“Thank you, dad,” Peedee said, a smile returning to his face. “I really appreciate that.”

The two stood in silence for a couple seconds, before Fryman changed the subject. “Now c’mon, you didn’t tell me about the food truck festival. I wanna hear all about it.”

Peedee joined his dad at the table, and told him about his trip. As much as he didn’t like how he got there, he  _ did  _ enjoy his line of work.

They were  _ Frymen,  _ after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to E350tb for beta-reading!


End file.
